


The Road to Hell

by space_mermaid



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternative Universe - Manson Family, Cult, Death Eaters, Drug Use, F/F, Housing Insecurity, Mild Language, Murder, Period-Typical Sexism, Racism, Racist Slurs, Swearing, allusions to sexual exploitation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:47:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26771644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/space_mermaid/pseuds/space_mermaid
Summary: Lily Evans is a budding investigative journalist, following the Riddle Family’s rise to notoriety in 1969. Unable to bag an interview with Antonin Dolohov, currently imprisoned for murder, she manages to secure a meeting with Bellatrix Black, arrested for car theft. She is quickly caught in a web she may be unable to unravel. Muggle!AU. Manson Family!AU
Relationships: Bellatrix Black Lestrange/Lily Evans Potter
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7
Collections: Going on a Date - Sapphic September 2020





	The Road to Hell

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Amanda as a first prize gift in my Sapphic Season Competition, run on HPFC fanfiction.net  
> Many months overdue, but I really enjoyed the challenge of this pairing. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Also submitting to HP Femslash Mini fest for the September 2020 prompt of "going on a date".

It was midday in scorching June, and Lily Evans was heading to prison. The Frontera California Institute for Women to be exact. The windows of her beat-up Starlight Coupe were wound down but the desert air rushing in did nothing to cool her rosy cheeks. It was as if she had opened a portal to hell, and radiation from some ungodly inferno swooped in to melt her.

Her lip skin split in the middle as she took a swig of her water bottle. Eyes on the shimmering road, she blew stray red strands of hair off her forehead. 

_Sev better be onto something with this, she thought bitterly. Or he owes me a tank of fuel and an ice cream sundae._

She hadn’t seen much of her childhood friend since college, so it had been a surprise to see his name on the only non-bill related letter to arrive in the post the last month. Lily had thought it might be an invitation to visit. Or maybe, an explanation for why he had been ignoring her calls the past year. Instead, it was a story lead. 

_The pop pieces you’ve been churning out of late are beneath you_ , Lily had rolled her eyes at his greeting. _You should investigate **this**. _ He had attached two newspaper clippings to the page. One was a photo of a band she had never seen, captioned _Tom Riddle and family._ The next was an article featuring a mug shot of a man, captioned _Antonin Dolohov, charged with murder._ Lily scanned the article, eyes widening. 

****  
** **

Severus had been right about one thing. She had been itching to write more investigative pieces, despite her editor’s best attempts to enthuse her about the celebrity gossip column. She hadn’t exactly told Lockhart that she was changing lanes and following a lead today, but Rita had been more than happy to cover her assignment for the week about the release of the saucy film, Midnight Cowboy. And Lockhart was sure to be pleased and publish Lily’s piece if it were good. Hopefully. 

Lily’s eyes flicked down to the fuel gauge, hovering just below halfway. Would she make it without having to refuel at one of those eery pit stops? She glanced at her watch. _Yes._ Should only be another ten minutes, according to her calculations from last night. 

She stretched her fingers, clammy with sweat, over the wheel, and breathed the oven-hot air deeply. Nerves were jumping like popcorn in her stomach. She’d never interviewed a prisoner before. Granted, it wouldn’t be too much of an interview with only a twenty-minute visiting period to contend with. But hopefully she would get enough to start putting some puzzle pieces into place. Such as why an inner member of the Riddle family was found sleeping in the car of murder victim, Horace Slughorn, covered in his blood. 

* * *

Lily gripped her spiral bound notebook, peering around a prison guard as he led her into the visitors’ room. There were a dozen or so small white tables with a few visitors seated, a fan on the wall, spinning and clicking endlessly, and blue laminate floor that stuck to her black and white Mary Janes. She took a seat, adjusting her pencil skirt over her knees and pulling her socks over her calves. She dated her page with a black biro and tapped it against her chin. A clock ticked on the wall, a quarter to two. 

There was motion at the doorway and Lily turned her head. A tall woman with wild brown ringlets tailed behind a guard. From the way she sauntered in, her floral house dress was transformed into a fashion statement, the cuffs adorning her wrists morphing into bangles. A smirk graced her dark pink lips as she screeched back the chair opposite Lily and plopped herself down. 

“Afternoon,” Lily started, watching the guards retreat to the back of the room. “Ah, thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Ms Black. My name is-” 

“Lily,” Bellatrix leant forward, black eyes glinting. 

“Yes, and I’m a writer for –” 

“West Covina Weekly. We get that in here too, you know.” 

“Ah,” Lily tucked her hair behind her ear, smiling awkwardly. “That’s good. Do you read it then?” 

“Uh huh,” Bellatrix tilted her head to the side, cheeks widening with a grin. “What do you want, Petal?” 

“I was hoping we could start off talking about your band.” 

“Hmm. I’d rather talk about you,” Bellatrix countered. 

Lily rolled her eyes. “Fine. How about I share something, you share something. Taking turns.” 

Bellatrix threaded her fingers together. “Excellent.” 

“Well, I always wanted to be a writer. I was lucky enough to go to college and study journalism.” 

Bellatrix feigned a snore. “Wow. I’ll trade you an equally riveting detail from my life. I’ve always had curly hair. Born this way.” 

“Ha ha. Hilarious.” 

“What fun we have, poppet.” 

Lily’s lips twitched. “Okay. How about…I have one sister, older than me. We don’t get on very well.” 

“I have two sisters, younger. I don’t get on with one very well.” 

“Oh, why is that?” 

“You tell me first.” 

Lily pursed her lips, thinking of Petunia’s scowl. “We differ politically. I’d say I’m too much of free spirit for her. What about you and your sister?” 

“She married a nigger.” 

Lily recoiled. “Oh… I see.” 

Bellatrix was eyeing her expectedly for the next detail. 

“May I ask…why that upset you?” 

“Upset me? It didn’t upset me,” Bellatrix frowned. 

“I’m not sure –” 

“It disgusted me.” 

Lily blinked, feeling a rush of anger and distress bubble up in her chest. She curled her hands into fists on her knees. “Go on.” 

“What? What is there to explain? She’s polluting our bloodline with that dirty fucker. It makes me sick. She deserves what’s coming to her.” 

“And what’s coming to her?” 

Bellatrix shook her head. “Nuh uh. Where’s your story, Miss Taking Turns?” 

“Right,” Lily grit her teeth, trying to regain composure. 

Two guards strode up behind Bellatrix. “Time to go, Black.” 

“I’ve only just sat down!” Bellatrix protested. 

“You’ve got another visitor.” They pulled out her chair and hoisted her up. 

“Our meeting is for twenty minutes!” Lily shouted, but was ignored. 

Bellatrix resisted as they dragged her back through the door. “Let me go! I was playing with my Petal! Fuck off!” 

Lily stared, shaking, as the guards forced Bellatrix down the hall. 

“Visit is over, Evans,” another guard called. 

Legs wobbling, Lily stood up and headed back out the entrance. 

Administrators were gathered at the security desk. “What do you reckon the LA boys are seeing her for?” 

“Don’t you know? She was bragging about the Longbottom murders.” 

“Shit. The Slughorn murder, now this?” 

They hushed as Lily walked past, shoes clacking on the flooring. 

Back in her car, nausea made her keel over the wheel. _The Longbottom murders…_ She drove home without seeing the road. 

* * *

She stumbled through her front door, almost slipping on an envelope stamped red. She tore it open – _EVICTION NOTICE._

“What?” Lily scanned the page, eyes narrowing. “Overdue for four weeks?” 

Lily tore into the kitchen and ripped the telephone off the handle. She twirled in the number and held the phone hard to her ear. 

“Hello, West Covina Weekly, this is Marlene?” 

“Marls, hi, it’s Lily. I need to speak with him now.” 

“Oh, Lily. I can make an appointment for you, if you like?” 

“I don’t want an appointment,” Lily fumed. “I want to talk to Lockhart now, it’s urgent.” 

“I’ll see if he’s available.” 

Marlene’s dulcet tones were replaced by obnoxious hold music. 

The minutes stretched, Lily’s foot tapping impatiently. 

“Hello, Lily?” 

“I’m here, Marlene, put me through.” 

“I’m sorry, darl’, he says if you want to talk to him, you’ll have to make an appointment.” 

“Jesus Christ,” Lily growled. “I’m coming into the office now.” 

“Okay, I’ll pencil you in for –” 

Lily hung up and paced around the kitchen, running her fingers through her hair anxiously. She shoved all her research and notebooks into a bag and headed out the door. Her hands shook as she tried to shove the key into the lock. 

“Ahem, hem.” 

Lily jumped and spun around. Her landlady was staring at her, a saccharine smile plastered across her face. 

“Hello, Miss Evans. I trust you’ve found your eviction notice.” 

“Yes, Miss Umbridge, I’m sorting it. My boss just messed up my pay.” 

“Mmhmm,” her eyes narrowed as she looked Lily up and down. “Well, it’d best be sorted by the end of the week, or you’ll be out on your tail.” 

Lily stormed past her without a word and all but leapt into her car, slamming the rusty door shut. 

* * *

The road stretched tarry and thin into the horizon. The sun was setting, and the blue hues of twilight seeped into the air, the sand, the sky. Lily kicked a tire, fists balled and screeched. 

“Stupid car!” 

Though it wasn’t the car’s fault she had neglected to fuel up. She ran her fingers through her hair, tears of frustration stinging as she blinked. 

An engine rumbled in the distance and Lily ran out onto the road. She waved her arms madly above her head while the Chevy Chevelle grew quickly from a speck, to a blob to a very car-sized object. 

“Hey! Heeey!” 

The car zoomed closer, engine revving. 

_Are they…speeding up?_ Lily rushed back to the road shoulder as the car barrelled past. 

“What the hell?!” Lily screamed. 

The car slowed further up the road, then started reversing. Lily gripped the side mirror of her Starlight Coupe, the desert air suddenly chilling her bare arms. The Chevy pulled up alongside her and a man with shaggy blond hair and a cigarette perched between his lips leaned out the window. 

“You tryna get yourself killed?” 

“No,” Lily bristled. “I was trying to get your attention.” 

“Well, you got it.” 

“I’m out of gas,” Lily tried to sweeten her tone. “Any chance you have a fuel cannister on you? Or could I possibly…get a ride?” 

The man smiled wolfishly and took a drag. “What do you think, Barty?” he turned to the man in the passenger side seat. “Should we give Death Wish a ride?” 

The dark-haired man shrugged. “Whatever.” 

“That’s what I like to hear,” he turned back to Lily. “Get in, sweetie.” 

Lily grit her teeth and fished her handbag out of her car. She locked the door and gave it a forlorn look, then opened the backdoor of the Chevy. 

“Oh. Hello,” Lily climbed in and came face to face with a young woman with long blonde hair and misty blue eyes. 

She stuck out her hand as Lily slammed the door shut behind her. “Alectra.” 

“Lily,” they shook hands clumsily as the car bumped along the road. 

“That’s Barty and Pete,” Alectra pointed at each of the men in turn. “What were you doing out here so late, Lily?” 

“Oh um, I was trying to go to work,” Lily said, untying her jacket from around her waist. “But I was stupid and forgot to fill up gas.” 

And she didn’t exactly have any money to fill up the tank if she had remembered. “What about you guys?” 

“We live here,” Alectra replied. 

Lily tilted her head, eyebrows knitting together. “You live out here?” 

She looked out at the sparse, desert landscape, miles and miles from any semblance of civilisation. 

“We’re musicians,” Alectra replied. 

Lily’s heart quickened. “I see.” 

Alectra picked up a hat filled with small change from under Lily’s feet. “We got this from busking in town.” 

“Um...impressive. What do you play?” 

Alectra rifled under the seat and pulled out a tambourine with a clang. 

“Oi, put that racket away,” Pete groused, glaring in the rear-view mirror. 

Alectra stuck out her tongue and winked at Lily, who smiled nervously in return. 

“What work you doing out here, Death Wish?” Pete asked. 

“Writing,” Lily said, swallowing down a flare of panic. “For like, tourists.” 

Pete laughed. “This ain’t a tourist kind of place.” 

Gazing out at the dry expanse of dirt, sand and scrub, nothing in the distance but barren mountains, Lily had to agree. 

“There’s some interesting natural landscapes –” 

“It’s a hole.” 

Lily moved her head in a noncommittal motion somewhere between a nod and a shrug. “Why do you live out here then?” 

He sniffed, nostrils flaring. “Gotta do what you gotta do.” 

Alectra beckoned Lily closer with her finger. “Do you smoke?” 

“Ah, not really, I…” Lily’s eyes dipped down to the other woman’s lap, where she was extracting a spliff from her handbag. “Oh, you mean...Well, here and there.” 

Alectra pulled out a lighter. “We can share.” 

“That’s very kind of you, but –” 

“Trust me,” Alectra leant in, breathe glossing over Lily’s ear, “you’ll need it for the drive.” 

Lily took in Alectra’s solemn expression and nodded. The other woman broke into a grin and winked. 

An indeterminate length of time later, Lily understood just why being stoned was necessary. It was dark, and the headlights flickered, lighting the road only a stone’s throw away from the front bonnet. The track was unsealed, bumpy, rocks crunching as the Chevy struggled up a steep and winding path. No lights around save for the half-bloomed moon, silver and unencumbered by a single wisp of cloud. No houses, no people, other than three strangers, edgy and high in this death trap with her. 

Weren’t they supposed to be taking her to the nearest town? This was the opposite of a town. They were deep into Death Valley, far, far away from civilisation. Lily’s nails dug into her thighs as the car lurched, tires skidding as Pete swerved them away from the edge. She supposed they had only offered a ride. And it had been late when they found her. Maybe they would let her stay at theirs for the night and take her somewhere with a gas station in the morning. 

_No one knows I’m out here._ The thought swirled in her head, dropped into her stomach like a stone. _They might find my car, but it would be ages before they scoured the desert and actually found me._

Lily jumped as something brushed her knee. Alectra’s hand. 

“Hey, you think this is bad? Try coming up here in a bus.” 

“Shut up,” Pete growled. “Unless you want us to take a shortcut to the bottom of the mountain.” 

“What did I do?” Alectra grumbled. 

“You’re distracting me with your blabbering! Shut your damn mouth!” 

They were dangerously close to the edge of the track, hungry darkness silently willing them to lose their grip. The car tread grappled with the road as Pete swerved to right them again. Lily squeezed her eyes shut. 

* * *

Her knees scorched in heat radiating out from the fire, while air crisp and cool, stretching for miles into pitch black darkness, bit at her back. She shifted to the side to eke out a slightly different angle, as if she were a rotisserie chicken baking herself. Her cheeks were flushed, and she reluctantly took a swig of the bottle of beer she had been nursing. 

Everyone was oddly quiet. She dragged her eyes over each young face around the campfire. Alectra was directly opposite, twirling her blonde hair between her fingers, gazing entranced into the flames. _Probably still high_ , Lily mused. Pete was leaning into Alectra on one side, chugging at his beer. Barty was on the other side, hugging his elbows, head tipped almost into his knees. To Lily’s immediate right were two men whose names she didn’t know, dark-haired, passing cigarettes between themselves. To her left, another woman, hair blonde and cut short like Twiggy. Just as thin too. 

Lily tipped her head back, counteracting her weight by gripping the splintery wood. Her eyes drank in the stars, bright and glittery across the sky. She took the chance to breathe deeply, angling away from the choking smoke of the fire and the men next to her. _It’s like a star soup_ , she mused. _What would stars taste like?_

“I’m hungry,” she heard herself say. She frowned at her sudden craving for celestial soup. _Oh_ , she sighed internally. _Guess Alectra’s not the only one still high._

She craned her neck to look behind her at the ranch house. It was perched on the incline, surrounded by low level shrubs and a handful of mangey trees. There were a couple of guitars on the front porch, and blankets drying over the rail. It wasn’t a big house, not for several adults to be sharing. 

The front door opened with a creak. Out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw her companions straighten. Two shadowy figures walked out. As they approached the fire, the glow illuminated their outlines. A curvy woman, hair flowing in tight coils over her shoulders, and a man, wiry, hair short. They broke into the circle, sitting beside the blonde woman on Lily’s left. 

The man leant forward, lucid black eyes meeting Lily’s green. “You’re new.” 

His voice was quiet, controlled. His expression was inscrutable, and Lily wasn’t sure if he was pleased or angry that she had joined them. Now that he was up close, Lily was sure that she recognised him as the serious-looking man from the newspaper article that Severus had sent her. The band leader. Tom Riddle. 

“Yes,” she replied, eyes flicking to the curly-haired woman beside him. She was smirking, looking Lily up and down. 

“What do you play?” Riddle asked. He drew a box from his pants pocket and started rolling a smoke. 

“Um…I don’t,” Lily replied, feeling oddly guilty about the admission. She looked to Alectra across the fire, but the other woman’s gaze was directed towards Riddle, like the rest of them. 

“So you’re a groupie then,” Riddle said with finality, lighting the cigarette with a flick of his roller. “Nothing wrong with that.” 

“I’m sort of just, in town,” Lily corrected. 

Riddle took a drag unblinkingly. He tapped the cigarette ash onto the ground then peered around to his left and right. “Town? What town?” 

“I just meant –”

“Town’s way back out there,” he brandished into the distance, a smile spreading across his face, as he looked around the circle. “I think she’s lost.” 

Everyone tittered and Lily smiled uncertainly. “I hope I’m not imposing. I’ll be out of your hair in the morning.” 

Riddle titled his head, eyebrows raised. “Who said you were imposing, sweetheart? Stay as long as you like. We enjoy the company.” 

Pete sniggered, then cracked opened another bottle of beer. 

“I’m Tom, by the way.” 

“Lily.” She stuck out her hand, but Riddle shook his head and spread his arms wide. 

“None of that uptight shit. Get over here.” 

Lily blinked, thrown off by the rapid change in demeanour. She rose from the log, and crouched awkwardly to the give the man a hug. He reeked of tobacco, weed and sweat. Lily held her breathe, one of his hands pressing into her back for several uncomfortable beats. He released her and she shuffled back to her seat, exhale whooshing out of her like a deflating balloon. 

“Now with introductions out of the way. Alectra?” 

The woman jumped up and hurried away into the house. 

“How’d you go in town?” Riddle asked, angling towards Pete and Barty. 

Barty handed over the upturned hat, jangling with coins. 

“Better than last week,” Pete offered. “Would have been better if Alectra hadn’t dropped the tambourine in the middle of it.” 

The frizzy haired woman sniggered, while Riddle simply nodded. 

The blonde in question swayed into view moments later, carrying a tray laden with snacks, a couple of plastic grocery bags hanging on each arm. She handed out the stash of cookies, chocolate, candy, and cans of soda to each member of the circle. Lily wolfed her share down as gracefully as a pig with slops. When all that was left were sugary crumbs, she pitched herself back to gaze at the stars, hungry for seconds. 

* * *

“Look up there,” warm breath on her neck, curls tickling her shoulder. 

Lily followed the woman’s outstretched arm and pointed finger, glowing faintly in the full moon’s light. 

“I don’t see anything,” Lily replied. 

“It’s my cousin.” 

“What?” Lily squinted at the sky, then back down to the mountain. “There’s no one around.” 

“Sirius is his name.” 

_Serious. Sirius_. The name snagged on a twig of familiarity in her mind. 

“And there,” the woman stretched her arm over Lily’s chest, finger still pointing, “is me.” 

“Oh,” Lily blinked, suddenly breathless. “So… your whole family is named after stars?” 

“Mostly. Not Cissy, she’s a flower. Like you.” 

Lily’s lips twitched in a smile and she leant into the woman’s shoulder. The fire had died down to charcoal and embers. The desert was vast and cool, faint insect chirps and rustling leaves the only sounds carrying on the breeze. A yawn escaped Lily’s mouth. 

“Tired, Petal?” 

“Mmm,” Lily managed through another yawn. 

“You’ve had big day,” a hand slipped onto Lily’s knee, sending shivers across her skin. 

“Oh,” Lily frowned at the speckled hand. “You’ve hurt yourself.” 

She cupped the other woman’s hand in her own, squinting at the dots of blood. 

“No, I haven’t,” she giggled. 

“You have, look. Oh!” Lily gasped in horror. Blood stains, almost black in the dim light, streaked down each of their legs. 

“Hey now, hush,” Bellatrix gripped her face, bringing their foreheads together. Lily’s teeth chattered, breath galloping, sending her head into a dizzying fog. “It’s alright, Petal. You’re alright.” 

* * *

Lily leapt out of bed, shaking and stumbling her way into the bathroom. Sunlight streamed in from the small square window over the toilet. She splashed her face with water and stared into the mirror. Her visage was pale and washed out. She frantically inspected her hands, her bare legs. Unscathed. 

She looked down at the tiles, a gleaming white. “What the fuck…?”

A knock made her jump, and she peered her head around the corner. There was no door on the bathroom. The bedroom was bare. The bedroom door swung open and Lily shrieked. 

* * *

“For someone who’s not a groupie, you sure do hang around a lot,” Pete sidled up to her in the water, and Lily instinctively crossed her arms over her chest. 

“I was thinking of writing a feature piece on the band for my paper,” she replied defensively, tiptoeing her way along the side of the pool. 

Bellatrix burst out of the water beside them and spat a stream of water into Pete’s face. 

“Oi, piss off,” Pete splashed her back, and Lily took the chance to glide further away. 

Greg guffawed from the sidelines, while Barty merely rolled his eyes and returned to sunbathing. 

“Uh uh, be nice, rat face, or Petal here will snip-snip you out of the feature,” Bellatrix chastened. 

Her flowing, brown ringlets waterfalled over her back and chest. Lily bit her bottom lip, mesmerised by the droplets of water sliding over her bikini-bound curves. Bellatrix advanced menacingly on Pete, dark eyes glinting, eyelashes wet and sparkling. Lily ducked lower in the water, feeling a blush spread over her cheeks, and a heat swell in her lower belly. 

Pete hauled himself out of the water, grumbling, and Bellatrix flounced over to Lily, grinning. She slid an arm around Lily’s waist. “Will this feature involve a photo shoot?” 

“Um… maybe, if I can convince my editor to, ah, lend the um – the camera,” Lily stuttered. She stared at Bellatrix’s moist lips, coherent thought slipping away at the feel of Bellatrix’s breasts pressing into her arm, her tapered fingers gripping into the soft flesh of her waist. Slipping down to skim her hip. Hooking into the hem of her own bikini. 

Lily’s lips parted in a soft gasp, heart thudding like the drums Bellatrix had played earlier. Like waves through her rib cage. The smell of alcohol on Bellatrix’s breathe tingled in her nostrils, accentuated by proximity to the water. The back of her neck itched from the harsh sun, her toes were cold on the stone floor, her skin was gooseflesh under the coolness of the pool’s surface and the heat of Bellatrix’s searing gaze. 

“I’m sure you’re very convincing,” Bellatrix said lowly. She drew her free hand from the water to tuck Lily’s soaked red strands from her forehead and behind her ear. 

Face to face, the wider world blurred to grey. All Lily could see was a snub, sunburnt nose, plumb red lips, inky irises encapsulating blown pupils. Her chest squeezed tight. They shared one breath, crackling electricity between them. 

“What’s this I hear?” 

Bellatrix jumped back, spinning to face Riddle. The man leered over the opposite side of the pool, squinting, one hand shielding his eyes, the other on his hip. 

“What?” Bellatrix called out. 

“Miss Lily is writing a story.” 

“A feature on the band,” Lily swallowed. “If you like. To promote your new album?” 

Riddle crouched down and gestured for Lily to approach. She walked over, the pool getting deeper, until she had to tread water. She gripped the wall and stared up at him, his gaze sliming over her cleavage. 

“This paper of yours,” his voice was quiet again. “What’s it called?” 

“The West Covina Weekly.” 

“And have you ever covered musicians before? I thought you did travel.” 

“I do. Both.” 

“Hmm,” he squeezed her shoulder. “Good. Can’t wait to read it.” 

Lily returned his smile uneasily. 

He stood suddenly. “Alright everyone, enough messing around. We’ve got work to do.” 

* * *

“I’m here to do an interview.” 

“Interview?” The middle-aged woman behind the counter raised her eyebrows. “No, we don’t allow reporters in here.” 

“I booked an appointment. A meeting, with one of your inmates,” Lily leant out the car, trying to make eye contact through the small check point window. 

“Yeah right. Look, visiting day is Friday, only staff are allowed through –”

“Please,” Lily pleaded. “I’ve come a long way. Just look it up, I’m sure there’s been some kind of mistake, missus, um…” Lily peered at the name badge. “Mrs Sprout.” 

The woman sighed and picked up her walkie talkie. “What was the name, then, darl’?” 

“Thank you,” Lily smiled sweetly. “I’m Lily. And I’m here to see Bellatrix Black.” 

The woman dropped the walkie talkie on her desk, eyes widening. “Get. Out.” 

“Excuse me?” Lily frowned. 

“I said get of here!” The woman shouted, leaning out the window. “I know full well who you are! Get out of here before I call the cops on your sorry ass!” 

Lily backed out of the driveway, hands trembling on the wheel. She turned the car around, staring ruefully at Frontera’s entrance in the rear-view mirror. Her water bottle was empty, Severus’s letter crumpled on the seat beside her. She headed back down the long, straight road, lined with evergreen trees, midday sun beating down on her faded mint roof. 

“What a waste of my time,” she growled. She glanced down at the dropping fuel gauge. “Jesus!” 

Lily pulled into the first tiny gas station that popped up on the side of the road and filled a quarter tank on the one pump available. She found enough money in her handbag to cover the gas and a new water bottle. A few quarters too. Seized by the frustration of the day, she made a beeline out of the store to the payphone hanging on the side wall. 

She dialled the operator with trembling hands, surveying the arid landscape as the transferred call rung through. 

“Hello?” 

“Sent me on a wild goose chase, did you?” Lily fumed. 

“Lily? What are you talking about?” 

“Your so called-lead? They didn’t even let me in! I’ve been driving for ages, it’s so damn hot today, and I spent the last of my pay on a stupid tank of fuel for no reason!” 

“Lily, I’m worried about you. Where are you?” 

Lily rolled her eyes. “I’m in the middle of nowhere. Drove through a desert. And it’s not me you should be worried about, when I get my hands on you –”

“You said you got gas, what’s the name of the station?” 

“What? It’s just a Shell, why does that matter?” 

“Lily,” Severus sounded strained. “Just tell me where you are, I’ll come get you.” 

Lily blinked. “Sev, why are you being so weird?” 

“I’ll explain everything when I get there. What town are you –”

The line clicked dead. 

* * *

She marched into the building with her research folder under her arm, and eviction notice in hand. She poked the up button incessantly until the elevator doors clunked open. 

“Oh hey, darl’,” Marlene greeted her, bright red lipstick breaking into a smile. “Old Lochy’s coffee can wait. How’ve you been? Me and the girls have been trying to get a hold of you about Mary’s baby shower –”

“I’ve been busy with a story,” Lily said shortly. 

“All work and no play!” she shook her head, natural hair falling over her shoulders. “Well, call me when you’re free so we can catch up.” 

“Will do,” Lily stepped out on the third floor and strode past the bustling pens. 

She gave one firm rap at Lockhart’s door, before swinging it open. 

“Miss Evans,” Lockhart looked up from his desk. “Quite inappropriate to burst in here, I was just penning a letter to my good friend, Johnny Cash –”

“Why haven’t I been paid for a month?” Lily interrupted, standing on her side of the desk, glaring down at Lockhart’s peeling, scandalised face. 

“Why would you be paid when you haven’t worked?” 

“I told you, I’ve been working on an investigative piece!” Lily threw down her research folder. 

Lockhart poked through the notes and photos. “Yes, yes, the Riddle family. We published that one already. Rather lacklustre group, aren’t they? Not nearly as important as the death of Judy Garland, or Brian Jones. You know, the actual assignments you were given.” 

Lily put a hand to her temple, trying to ram down her bubbling rage like a lid on a boiling brew. “Rita’s been covering that for me. This piece needs some time. There’s something going on with this group, something…big. I need time to get their trust, uncover what’s really going on.” 

“What’s really going on?” Lockhart laughed. “My dear, they’re a bunch of hippies that live in the desert. What’s going is probably orgies and drug…parties, or something.” 

“One of the band members was arrested for murder – that’s something!” 

Lockhart shook his head, pushing her notes back into place in the folder. “You’re a bit addled from all the sun you’ve been getting, Miss Evans. At any rate, we’ve already had this discussion and decided to go our separate ways.” 

Lily put her hands on her hips, eyes narrowing to beady slits. “Excuse me?” 

Lockhart stood nervously, edging towards the door. “You no longer work here. And I’m afraid your refusal to return company equipment means I can’t provide you a positive reference.” 

Lily flew across the room in two strides and grabbed Lockhart by his checked gold tie. 

“You stupid, pathetic little man,” Lily spat. “You don’t fire me – I quit!” 

“Help!” Lockhart squealed. “She’s gone mad!” 

“Any paper would be lucky to have me!” Lily’s other hand balled into a fist at her side, aching to punch Lockhart’s whimpering face. “And when I break this story with the West Covina Morning Herald, you’ll be sorry your short-sighted, talentless ass ever had the arrogance to dismiss me.” 

“Lily, what are you doing?” Mary and Dorcas’s concerned faces hovering in the doorway broke Lily from her vengeful trace. 

She let go off Lockhart with a shove and bundled up her research in her folder. She pushed through the throng of ex-colleagues meandering outside Lockhart’s office, cheeks burning but head held high. 

* * *

She collapsed on the porch, eyes brimming with tears. Bellatrix wrapped an arm around her waist. 

“It’s probably a good thing, Petal.” 

Lily scoffed. “Good thing? That I’m out of work? How am I going to pay rent? Or any other bills?” 

Bellatrix tsked. “Money, money, money. Is that all you care about?” 

“How else am I supposed to survive?” 

Bellatrix rubbed her back soothingly. “You could live here.” 

A ball of trapped tears pressed against the inside of Lily’s throat. “That’s very nice of you, Trix.” 

“You just have to ask Tommy.” 

Lily swallowed, trying to blink away unease about how that conversation would go. What would convince him to house a groupie? 

“I need a distraction,” Lily sat up straight, wiping her eyes. 

Bellatrix bounced up, slung a rucksack over her shoulder, and grabbed Lily by the hand. “Good. Because I need your help.” 

They traipsed through the ranch towards the hills, craggy and vast. 

“I like this place better than the desert,” Lily said with difficulty through heavy breaths. 

Bellatrix glided over the rocks like a graceful ice skater. “It’s alright. Apart from old Gelly.” 

Lily stopped for a moment and steadied herself on a bolder, fanning her face with her hand. She took in the rugged lines and green shrubbery of the Simi Valley, dazed by the drop and the exertion. 

“Actually, scratch that. I’m too unfit for all this…” Lily waved her hand about breathlessly. “Hiking and shit.” 

Bellatrix laughed and pulled her along, through trails that weaved amongst rivetted peaks. 

“What are we doing out here, anyway?” Lily asked as the afternoon grew weary. 

“Looking.” 

“For what?” 

“A safe place,” Bellatrix stopped at the entrance to a draughty cave, hands on hips. “Here for example. Do you reckon anyone would find us here?” 

Lily stood beside her, frowning into the dark gaping rock mouth. “Probably not.” 

“Perfect,” Bellatrix plopped herself down and stretched out her legs. 

Lily followed suit, helping Bellatrix shrug off her rucksack. They pulled out a blanket, a bottle of red wine, and some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cut into small triangles. 

“What’s all this?” Lily asked, laying out the stash on the stone ground. 

“What’s it look like?” Bellatrix rifled in the bottom of the bag and extracted a gnarled rainbow bong. 

Lily bit her lip and shrugged. “Kind of seems like… we’re alone. You went to all this trouble to prepare some food, and find us a nice picnic spot. It’s almost as if – like we’re on a….”

Bellatrix’s lips curled into a cheeky grin and she crawled her way over to Lily, hands stopping either side of her hips. “On a what?” 

Chests so close they were almost touching. Lily’s breathing was shallow. Her eyes trailed across Bellatrix’s pale face. Shade masked a dusking of freckles over the other woman’s nose, but the late afternoon light danced shimmering in her dark eyes. 

“Like we’re on a…” Lily’s voice was rough. She swallowed and pressed her lips to Bellatrix’s ear. “A date.” 

Lily turned slightly, resting her face against the other woman’s soft, wild hair. She held her breath, heartbeat thudding in ears. 

Bellatrix shifted her weight back, propping knees either side of Lily’s outstretched legs. Her eyes were hungry as she cupped Lily’s cheeks in both hands. Lily shivered as drifting grey clouds blocked out the sun, and Bellatrix tilted her face up, fingers threading through messy red hair. Eye to eye. 

“Are you my date?” her voice, husky and low, seeped warm yearning like sweet caramel into Lily’s skin. 

“Yes,” Lily breathed. 

“Then this is a date,” Bellatrix whispered. 

Lily arched up to close the gap, eyes fluttering shut. A beat passed, and Lily opened her eyes to see Bellatrix had pulled slightly back, smirking. A desperate mewl sprang from Lily’s mouth, and she tangled a hand in the other woman’s hair, trying to edge closer. She felt the heat of Bellatrix’s skin as she dipped down, ghosting their lips for a hot second. But she broke them apart again, leaving Lily panting with want. 

“Can I help you?” Bellatrix asked sweetly, hands sliding over Lily’s shoulders. The brush of the soft cotton fabric tingled down her arms. 

“You’re teasing me,” Lily groaned. Every fibre and cell of her body was aching, crying out to be touched. Bellatrix was biting her bottom lip, black eyes searing. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” her hands traced down the curve of Lily’s waist, then circled back to her breasts. The twitch of her mischievous mouth was maddening. _Enough._

Lily pulled Bellatrix down with both hands around her neck, throwing them both off balance. They fell in a tangle, and Lily seized the chance to roll on top of the brunette, straddling her hips. She pinned Bellatrix wrists above her head, thrill heaving in her breath. “Got you now.” 

“And what are going to do with me?” Chin jutting in a challenge, eyes daring. 

Lily smiled as she folded over the woman, imprinting a kiss on parted lips. Salty like sea breeze. Her mouth opened, and their tongues met. Lily sighed, grip slackening as she lost herself in sensation. Her head filled with bright golden light. 

Quick as lightening, Bellatrix twisted to the side, flipping Lily on her back. Lily gasped, the cold stone chilling through her dress. 

* * *

The Spahn Ranch was deserted. Lily wandered around the dilapidated buildings, eyes peeking over rusted tin rooves to scan the mountains behind. Her shoes scuffed up dirt as she walked. 

“They’re not here.” 

Lily jumped at the crackly voice and spun to see old man Gellert leaning on a sagging wooden beam. 

“Where are they?” Lily asked, hugging her elbows. 

“They were picked up this morning by some coppers, just after you left,” he brandished his walking stick towards one of the abandoned dwellings. “Tommy tried to hide under the sink, but they found him.” 

“And Bellatrix?” 

Gellert eyed her suspiciously. “Aren’t you a reporter?” 

“No. I mean, yes. I mean, I did a profile of their band a few weeks back. But we’re kind of friends now.” 

“Hmm,” he shuffled down the stairs. “Bella was one of them they put in the van, I think. Some of them jumped in the bus though.” 

“Okay, thank you –”

“You’re welcome to stay though,” Gellert said, licking his lips. 

“Ah, no, that’s fine,” Lily grimaced and turned on her heel. 

She drove back along the freeway to West Covina, foggy mind struggling to weave together threads of sense. The eviction notice kept company in the passenger seat. Back in the apartment complex carpark, she stared up at her first-floor balcony. Her pot plants were wilting. Her stomach gurgled. 

Limbs weary and lead-heavy, she dragged herself out of the car, and popped open the boot. She rolled the tin of beans back into the paper bag, along with the packet of candy she had planned to share. 

“Ouch!” Lily pulled her hand back with a hiss. Her finger was pricked. She squinted down at the disorganised mess, a pile of clothes, rubbish and old magazines. A glint reflecting the midday sun caught her gaze. She jumped back. 

A knife. Covered in blood. 

* * *

The sunset was vivid through the windscreen, like a honey golden egg yolk cracked onto the sizzling red horizon. An angel was touching her arm – she gasped. The press of her feather light fingers resonated like the high ting of a wineglass. 

“Pull up here,” her words floated like bubbles on her breathe and popped against Lily’s cheek. 

Lily put a palm to the shell of her ear. The words echoed in a hush, like the waves on the beach. _Pull up here, pull up here._

There were trees melting basil, pine and emerald against a house. The man with crunching eyebrows left and Lily laughed. 

The halo brightened around the angel, her strawberry pink lips upturned. Magnetised, Lily hummed forward to taste them. She fell back, a hand on her chest. Soft felt danced against the back of her neck. Glass windows tapped against her nails, reverberating down her arms. 

The angel flew away. Only one duckling was left. Her pointer finger pressed against her lips. Lily mirrored the gesture. 

She ran her foot against the seat. Friction like fire sprang up her leg and Lily jumped. 

The night air doused the flames like cool rapids. But the grass like a thousand needles stung her hands and knees. The angel, the devil, shackles over her arms. Garnet red dripped dots on the moss carpet, a code. What did it mean? Monstrous screams rang in her ears, ripped at her throat. 

She was dragged, gravel grazing gashes up her legs. The sky was black. Once last leap to break free. A smash and she disappeared. 

* * *

The locks had been changed. Her fuel tank was empty. She stared at the scarcely touched first page of her notebook. 

_August 1st, ‘69 Interview – Bellatrix Black_

_•
  * Car theft 
• 
  * Racist 
• 
  * Longbottom murders? 
_ 


“Ahem, hem.” 

Lily startled, springing up from the bottom step. 

“Miss Evans,” Ms Umbridge’s nostrils flared as she sneered down from the landing. “I thought I made it quite clear on Monday not to hang around like a bad smell.” 

“Where else am I supposed to go?” Lily bit. 

The landlady’s obnoxiously rouged cheeks rounded out as she tittered. “Surely you can go back to whatever hovel you’ve been running off to the last couple of months.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“It means, clear off my private property, or you’ll find yourself being carted off by the police.” 

Lily glared at woman’s smug mug. _You’re lucky I’m not on the landing with you,_ she thought viciously, watching the other woman shrieking as she tumbled beehive over pink heels down the stairs in her mind’s eye. 

“Fine, you stupid cow,” she snarled instead. “Good luck finding another tenant willing to put up with this cockroach infested dump!” 

Lily stalked back to her Starlight Coupe. Starting the ignition with teeth clenched, she willed the tank to contain enough fumes to get her out of the complex carpark. It held out long enough for her to get to the mall parking lot. She glanced at her backseat in the rear vision mirror. A sorry pile of clothes, boxes of documents, toiletries. Shoved under the seat, a small jewellery box, letters from her mother, an assortment of shoes. She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes and breathed. 

She strode through the mall with purpose. In the bathroom, she brushed her teeth, washed her face, combed her hair. Glancing around furtively, she splashed water and scrubbed hand soap under her arms, then patted herself dry with paper towels. Marginally more presentable, she headed back into the throng of shops, inspecting each display as though she had money to buy anything. 

She wandered into the newsagent, staring forlornly at the stacks of the West Covina Weekly. Shaking herself, she picked up the West Covina Morning Herald in spite. 

_POTTER MURDERS – POLICE SEEKING INFORMATION Police are seeking information from the public to assist in their ongoing investigation of the brutal recent murders at the Potter family mansion in LA. The bodies of the victims, James Potter (22), Dorea Potter (68), Fleamont Potter (70), Remus Lupin (23) and Gideon Prewitt (18) were found 10th July by the Potter’s housekeeper. Authorities can reveal that the deceased suffered multiple stab wounds and strangulation. Investigators ask anyone who may have information to come forward. A connection to murders of Alice and Frank Longbottom 8th July has not been ruled out._

The paper fell to the floor like dead leaves. 

* * *

By the time Severus found her, the harsh sun was striking from the side. His sepia Simca Vedette pulled up next to her tired mint car at the quiet gas station. He joined her on the bench outside the toilets. 

Lily eyed him wearily, arms crossed. “I hope you have a good explanation for your weirdness.” 

He nodded and took her hand. “What do you remember?” 

Lily snatched her hand away, frowning. “Remember of what?” 

“What about today? What have you been up to today?” 

“Well, like I told you on the phone, I was driving to go to Frontera prison, like you suggested. Trying to do an interview with Bellatrix Black.” 

Severus’s pasty face blanched further. “I see…do you know why she is in prison?” 

“Car theft. Maybe she has more information about her friend, Dolohov, the one who got arrested for the Slughorn murder. But,” Lily sighed. “I’ll never know now because the guard seemed to hate me.” 

“Lily…I’m going to show you something. It might help you fill in a few blanks.” 

Lily took the gently proffered manilla folder and skimmed through. There were newspaper clippings, notes, photos. 

_RIDDLE FAMILY ON TRIAL NEW LEAD IN LONGBOTTOM MURDERS FOUR MURDERERS SENTENCED TO DEATH_

Her hands shook as she lifted a photograph. She was sitting on wooden beam, arm around another woman, with wild brown ringlets and a wicked smile. Bellatrix…

“Oh,” Lily gasped, awash with light-headedness. The folder slipped from her grasp and pages scattered over the dirt. 

_KEY WITNESS LILY EVANS TESTIFIES AGAINST RIDDLE FAMILY_

“I don’t… I don’t understand,” Lily’s chest closed in around her like a straight-jacket, and her breaths squeezed shallow in her throat. “What happened?” 

Severus put a hand on her shoulder. “Breathe, Lily. Breathe with me, and I’ll tell you everything I know.” 

Lily inhaled and exhaled, trying to match Severus’s slow, controlled breaths. 

“Good.” 

Lily grabbed his knee. “Now tell me.” 

“You remember I wrote you a letter about the Riddle family?” 

Lily nodded. 

“That was last year.” 

“No! It was last week, I’ve got your letter right here…”

“Please, Lily, listen.” 

She clamped down her protests, fearfully searching his sallow face for truth. Sadness muted his still eyes. 

“Go on.” 

“In my letter, yes, I mentioned the Riddle family and their connection to Antonin Dolohov’s murder of Horace Slughorn. I never mentioned Bellatrix specifically.” 

“Okay…”

“From what I understand, you found the family’s ranch and began staying with them over June and July. You wrote a piece on them for your paper.” 

“I borrowed the camera for a photoshoot,” Lily whispered. 

“Yes. But… something went wrong. You weren’t showing up for work, weren’t turning in pieces. Unfortunately, you got fired.” 

There was a letter – a notice of termination. Pleading with Lockhart on the phone to give her more time. “I went to the Spahn Ranch.” 

“The next night, the Potter murders happened. The next night after that, the Longbottom murders.” 

Lily ran her hands through her hair. “But I don’t remember. Why don’t I remember?!” 

“According to your testimony, you had taken various substances over those few days.” 

Lily yanked at her hair, trying to ground herself in the pain. “Maybe…”

“And…while you were in hospital, they found evidence of a concussion.” 

_Once last leap to break free. A smash and she disappeared._

“He punched me…” Lily muttered, touching the side of her head instinctively. “Wait, when was I in hospital?” 

Severus shifted uncomfortably. “You had been acting erratically ever since the family got arrested for car theft, a week after the murders. You visited Bellatrix in prison, showed up at various newspaper offices, demanding a job interview. You were evicted from your apartment, but kept trying to break into your room –” 

“That bitch Umbridge…” 

“When you showed up at the police station, quite hysterical…you were admitted to a psychiatric hospital.” 

Lily blinked, staring at Severus’s solemn expression, eyes squinting against the light. “Are you saying…you think I’m crazy?” 

He shook his head. “Of course not. Apparently, it’s common to block out traumatic events. Especially when you mix in a head injury and hallucinogens.” 

_White tiles…no door._

“And then?” 

“And then, we were both witnesses at the trial.” 

_A prosecutor with piercing blue eyes regarded her intensely over half-moon spectacles. “Miss Evans, please describe to the court your relationship to the defendants.”_

“And she – the Riddle family – got the death penalty?” 

Severus nodded and Lily’s heart sunk. 

“But it was commuted to life imprisonment.” 

Lily shook her head, biting the inside of her cheek. “Why? Why did this happen?” 

“What do you mean?” 

Lily stood up and paced around the bench, running her hands up and down her arms. “Why did they kill those people? Why was I there? Why did I forget everything?!” 

She spun around to face Severus, brown dust kicking up in the air. 

“I don’t know why you forgot again, Lily,” he pursed his thin lips and inhaled deeply. “But I’m worried about you.” 

“I’m not going back to a mental hospital,” Lily warned. 

“Okay. But Marlene was very concerned when you disappeared yesterday without telling her where you were going.” 

“I’ll be good,” Lily sat again and clasped his hands. “I just need your help to understand some things.” 

Severus rubbed a thumb over the back of her hand. “Anything.” 

* * *

It was getting dark. Lily curled against Bellatrix under the blanket, a cocoon of warmth shielding from the breeze blowing into the cave. She took another hit from the rainbow bong and snuggled her face into the other woman’s neck. 

“I’ve never kissed a girl before,” Lily blurted. 

Bellatrix patted her head. “So I’ve corrupted you.” 

Lily giggled. “Maybe _I_ corrupted _you_.” 

“Not quite,” Bellatrix winked. 

“What!” Lily gasped. “Who did you kiss? Alectra?” 

Bellatrix snorted. “Definitely not.” 

“Then who?” 

“Mmm, doesn’t matter. The bitch dumped me to get married. Sorry, Bella!” her pitch switched to a squeaky imitation. “Frank proposed. Byeee!” 

Lily laughed, sneaking her hands free of the blanket to lift the bottle of wine to her lips. 

“Her loss,” Bellatrix continued, voice dripping with bitter venom. “She’ll be wiped out in the apocalypse with all the rest. We’ll be safe here, though.” 

Lily gulped down her wine, smacking her lips together in a satisfied exhale. “Sounds like my ex. He ran off with a bloke too.” 

“He hurt you.” 

Lily shrugged. “It was in college. I’m over it.” 

Bellatrix stroked her cheek with a finger. “What’s his name, Petal?” 

“James Potter. Haha, potter, like pot!” 

Bellatrix lifted the bong and clinked it against the wine bottle in Lily’s hand, as if making a toast. “To bastard exes. May they rot in hell.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Please, please, pretty please leave a review!
> 
> P.S. I realised towards the ends I stuffed up my dates (in terms of connection with the real-life dates of the Tate-LaBlanca murders: Tate La-Blanca murders were 8th and 9th August, 1969, whereas in this fic, the Potter-Longbottom murders were 8th and 9th July 1969). Probably no one else notices or cares but me. Just in case though, I’m aware, don’t at me! :P
> 
> P.P.S Changed Alecto to Alectra, just liked it better.


End file.
